Sport
5 August, 2025
Swans hold off Eagles comeback for four-point win
Natte Bealiba have survived a thunderous comeback from the Dunolly Eagles to keep their chances of finishing inside the top four alive, holding on to a four-point win.
The Eagles will be extremely disappointed that they couldn’t complete what would have been an enormous victory for their season, especially with the way they started and ended the match.
With the hosts making several changes ahead of this match, including key players Trent Mortlock and Nathan Holt out of the team, the Swans were on the back foot in the opening quarter, with Jay McDonald and Joel Fisher controlling the game for the Eagles.
Inaccuracy in front of goal plagued the visitors early, allowing Natte to remain within touching distance down by four points at quarter time despite having four fewer scoring shots.
The hosts took full advantage of the Eagles’ lack of clinicalness in the first term, with excellent goalkicking from Will Holt and Emmet Smith helping the Swans restore their spot as favourites for this match.
Natte outscored Dunolly 5.1 to 1.2 in the second term, taking a 19-point lead into half time.
With both teams looking for improvements on defence, goals were at a premium in the third quarter.
While Dunolly’s McDonald, Adal Zuk and Jake Gavriliadis were brilliant in stifling Natte’s progress and driving their team forward, the Swans’ defence, led by Brad Power, Toby Beavis and Daniel Vadala, held firm.
With the Swans up by 22 points at the final break after both teams managed one goal in the third term, it seemed the Swans’ victory would be secure.
Dunolly had other ideas, trapping the ball in their forward 50 for extended periods and piling the pressure on the reigning premiers.
The Swans looked to be cracking, making some uncharacteristic errors and generating very little momentum going forward, giving the Eagles a chance to complete the upset.
Despite not hitting the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, the Swans did enough to hold on, thanks to the Eagles scoring 2.6 in the last term.
Natte listed their best players as Jayden Templeton, Jake Postle, Aaron Hayes, Power and Will Holt, who finished with a game-high three goals.
They will look for a better performance in their blockbuster clash with fellow contender Talbot this weekend.
Zuk and McDonald played a massive role in the Eagles’ fightback, listed in their best players alongside Fisher, Michael Sjaardema, Bailey Wingrave and Gavriliadis.
Sjaardema was Dunolly’s leading goalkicker with two goals.